NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
January 1953 Eastern New Zealand Flooding
(
1953-01-24
)
There was heavy rain and flooding from the 24th to the 28th of January from southern Hawke's Bay to North Canterbury. There was serious damage to roads, railway lines and telephone lines.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 5 days - There was heavy rain and flooding from the 24th to the 28th of January from southern Hawke's Bay to North Canterbury.
Stock losses were substantial, and included 6500 sheep.
A very active depression developed east of Banks Peninsula and took an unusual northward track, producing flooding from North Canterbury to southern Hawke's Bay. There was exceptionally heavy rain along an axis through Wanstead, Elsthorpe and Maraetotora during night of the 27th, when the low was centred over Northland.
Bay of Plenty
Hail
at
Ngongotaha
On the 26th a hail storm hit Ngongotaha resulting in damage to crops.
Hawke's Bay
Heavy Rain
at
Hawke's Bay
Heavy rain hit the Hawke's Bay on the 27th to the 28th.
Central Hawke's Bay received 4.58 in (11.63 cm) of rain up to 9:00am on the 28th.
There was exceptionally heavy rain over Wanstead, Elsthorpe and Maraetotara.
The bulk of the rain fell in six hours.
The storm came from the south and travelled in a north-easterly direction. The axis of the storm was along a line running through Wanstead, Elsthorpe and Maraetotara.
Flooding
Flooding occurred in Tukituki, Porangahau and Maraetotara River.
There were heavy stock losses. 6500 sheep drowned, mostly in the Porangahau catchment. One farmer lost 500 ewes and acres of grass feed and another farmer lost 80 sheep.
Much fencing was destroyed.
Houses in many districts were flooded and many homes were isolated.
Damage to county roads in the province cost £31,373 ($1,564,000 2009 dollars).
Approaches to bridges were washed away.
Landslide
There was a large amount of surface slipping along the track of the storm. It was estimated that 1000 acres (405 ha) of pasture was covered by slip debris in Hawke's Bay and Manawatu-Wanganui.
Many roads were blocked by slips.
Heavy Rain
at
Crownthorpe homestead
Crownthorpe recorded 1.12 in (2.84 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Fernhill
Fernhill recorded 0.90 in (2.29 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Glencoe homestead
One of the heaviest deluges this district has ever experienced occurred on the 27th.
Glencoe recorded 3.15 in (8.0 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Flooding
Girl guides holding a camp were forced to abandon camp after rain swept through the camping area and quickly flooded the grounds.
Lightning
There was vivid lightning and thunderclaps.
Heavy Rain
at
Hastings
Hastings recorded 1.45 in (3.68 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Lightning
On the 27th there were two electrical storms moving across the Heretaunga Plains.
Flooding
Torrential rain caused some flooding in Hastings.
16 wagons of a ballast train were derailed near the Kennels due to the undermined railway embankment.
Poukawa swamp was in flood following heavy rain.
Power was cut off over the whole district for about three minutes.
Water was overflowing culverts and forcing its way into shop premises. Several shops were flooded.
Heavy Rain
at
Havelock North
Havelock North recorded 2.35 in (5.97 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Hawea homestead
Hawea Road recorded 7.84 in (19.11 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Kahuranaki homestead
Kahuranaki recorded 224 mm (22.4 cm) of rain in nine hours (which has a return periodof well over 150 years).
Heavy Rain
at
Kohatunui
Kohatunui recorded 1.43 in (3.63 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Mangamahaki
Mangamahaki tributary at Tamumu had a discharge of approximately 65,000 cusecs (1841 cumecs) into the Tukituki River with a catchment area of 102.5 sq miles (265 km^2).
Heavy Rain
at
Mangarouhi homestead
Mangarouhi Valley recorded 349 mm (34.9 cm) of rain in 12 hours (mostly in six hours). This rainfall has a return period of well over 150 years.
Heavy Rain
at
Maraekakaho
Maraekakaho recorded 2.28 in (5.79 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Maraetotara Reserve
Maraetotara recorded 1.85 in (4.70 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Maraetotara River
Maraetotara River rose 10 ft (3.05 m), which was 2.4 ft (0.73 m) higher than the July 1951 flood level.
Heavy Rain
at
Matapiro
Matapiro recorded 1.36 in (3.45 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Napier
Napier recorded 0.71 in (1.80 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Otamauri
Otamauri recorded 0.96 in (2.44 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Porangahau
Porangahau was inundated.
The main road area was the worst affected. Torrents of water were pouring across the road.
Telephone communication from Wanstead to Porangahau was impossible due to slips bringing down the poles.
In this area approximately 140 ewes were counted lying around fences.
Flooding
at
Porangahau River
Porangahau River had a peak discharge of 81,000 cusecs (2294 cumecs) with a catchment area of 300 sq miles (777 km^2).
At the Saleyards Bridge the river rose 43 ft (13.1 m).
Porangahau River was in major flood and inundated adjacent land. Many homes were isolated.
Heavy Rain
at
Pukehou
Pukehou recorded 3.5 in (8.89 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Puketapu
Puketapu recorded 0.89 in (2.26 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Sherenden
Sherenden recorded 1.11 in (2.82 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Taurapa
Taurapa recorded 1.06 in (2.69 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Tauroa homestead
Tauroa recorded 3.0 in (7.62 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Apiti homestead
Te Apiti recorded 0.55 in (1.40 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Te Awanga
Te Awanga camping ground was flooded to a depth of 2 ft (0.61 m).
Heavy Rain
at
Te Mata Park
Te Mata recorded 2.0 in (5.08 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
at
Tukituki River
Tukituki River reached its greatest height at Black Bridge with a peak discharge of 83,300 cusecs (2359 cumecs) (during the flood of August 1949 the discharge was only 76,800 cusecs (2175 cumecs)).
Lightning
at
Waikaremoana
There was a widespread power failure on the 27th due to a violent thunder storm.
Heavy Rain
at
Waimarama
Waimarama recorded 1.76 in (4.47 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Waipawa
Torrential rain caused heavy flooding at 'The Bush'.
Flooding
Several houses had water up to their doorsteps.
Approximately 20 sheep drowned.
Landslide
at
Waipukurau
There were serious slips in Tourere and Ngahape road area.
Heavy Rain
at
Wallingford
Bush Road recorded 6.15 in (15.62 cm) of rain in 12 hours.
Flooding
50 people were marooned.
Heavy Rain
at
Wanstead
Wanstead recorded 233 mm (23.3 cm) of rain in 14.5 hours (which had a return period of over 150 years).
Flooding
There were hundreds of dead sheep seen on the fences in the Wanstead area.
A pilot made several trips over the area with bread for marooned people.
Landslide
There were thousands of slips seen in the country.
Heavy Rain
at
Wilder Settlement
Wilder Settlement recorded 208 mm (20.8 cm) of rain in nine hours (which has a return period of well over 150 years).
Manawatu-Wanganui
Heavy Rain
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
There was heavy rain from the south on the 26th which fell continuously on the 27th and eased on the 28th.
There was rainfall in general in the Manawatu, southern Hawkes Bay and northern Wairarapa districts. Very intense rainfall appeared in a triangle between Palmerston North, Dannevirke and Pahiatua and the east coast.
Flooding
Mangatainoka, Mangahao, Pohangina and Oroua rivers were in moderate flood.
There was severe flooding throughout the Manawatu.
There were very heavy stock losses.
Houses in many districts were flooded.
There was widespread damage to farmland, road and rail networks.
Farm damage in the area was severe and many fences were destroyed.
Damage to Manawatu Catchment Board works cost £40,000 ($1,995,000 2009 dollars).
Damage to state highways in the area cost £2500 ($124,700 2009 dollars).
Tematai Road on the main Napier highway was under 4 ft (1.22 m) of water.
A horse and rider was swept away by a torrent on the main road but they were both saved.
Mangapuaka Bridge on the Norsewood-Te Uri road was washed away.
Landslide
Many roads were blocked by slips.
Flooding
at
Akitio River
Akitio River had an estimated discharge of 60,000 cusecs (1699 cumecs) with a catchment area of 200 sq miles (518 km^2).
Flooding
at
Aohanga River
Aohanga River had a discharge of 43,000 cusecs (1218 cumecs) with a catchment area of 160 sq miles (414 km^2).
Aohanga River had a discharge of 32,400 cusecs (917 cumecs) with a catchment area of 95 sq miles (246 km^2).
Flooding
at
Dannevirke
Bridges in the Dannevirke area were under water and many were damaged.
Landslide
at
Hamua
There were extensive slips blocking the highway.
Flooding
at
Hokowhitu River
Lower Hokowhitu River broke through leading to an urgent order to residents to evacuate homes.
Flooding
at
Konini
The river at Konini burst its banks.
Most of the streets in town flooded and dirty creek water flowed into some shops.
Flooding
at
Levin
There was surface flooding in low-lying areas.
Flooding
at
Longburn
At the peak of the flood water came in near Longburn and the flood level reached 18 in (0.46 m) higher than the flood in 1902.
Flooding
at
Manawatu Gorge
Manawatu Gorge was choked by the flood at its peak. There was a 42 ft (12.8 m) rise in the river.
There was widespread flooding to a considerable depth between the Manawatu Gorge and Palmerston North. A large volume of water escaped along the right bank.
Landslide
All traffic through the gorge was blocked by an extensive slip. There were at least six big slips that occurred in the gorge. 40 cars were trapped.
Two families (approximately eight people) were evacuated.
Flooding
at
Manawatu River
The peak level of the Manawatu River was 21 ft 5 in (6.6 m) at Fitzherbert gauge with a peak discharge of 159,611 cusecs (4520 cumecs).The river held its peak for five hours and remained over 20 ft (6.1 m) for 15.5 hours.
Manawatu River had a discharge of 93,988 cusecs (2661 cumecs) at Hopelands.
Manawatu River had a discharge of 145,611 cusecs (4123 cumecs) at Ashhurst.
Manawatu River was in its sixth biggest flood on record.
Flooding
at
Mangahao River
Mangahao River had a discharge of 22,167 cumecs (628 cumecs) at the Highway Bridge.
Flooding
at
Mangatainoka River
Mangatainoka River had a discharge of 19,538 cumecs (553 cumecs) at the Highway Bridge.
Heavy Rain
at
Motuotaria
Motuotaria recorded 9.19 in (23.34 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Nikau Hill
Nikau Hill recorded 10.31 in (26.19 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Ohakea
Ohakea recorded 5.0 in (12.7 cm) of rain in three days.
Flooding
at
Opiki
The main drainage system at Opiki overlapped its banks and flooded crop land.
Flooding
at
Oroua River
Oroua River had a disharge of 5656 cusecs (160 cumecs) at Kopane Bridge.
Heavy Rain
at
Pahiatua
Pahitua recorded 6.96 in (17.6 cm) of rain in 48 hours.
It was the heaviest rainfall for 30 years.
Flooding
The main street resembled a miniature lake.
The town was isolated by floodwaters.
The creek south of Pahiatua became a raging torrent. It cut into the highway and caused a number of families to evacuate their homes.
This flood was worse than the flood of 1941.
Stock losses occurred in low-lying country with ewes and lambs being swept away.
Heavy Rain
at
Palmerston North
Palmerston North recorded 5 in (12.7 cm) of rain in 48 hours.
Flooding
Exits from Palmerston North with the exception of the main road north to Wanganui were closed.
The highway from Palmerston North to Levin was blocked.
Landslide
Palmerston North was cut off from the East Coast by road and rail due to slips in the Manawatu Gorge.
Flooding
at
Pongaroa
The town was isolated by floodwaters for two days. There was no road or rail into the town.
The roads were covered to a depth of 5 ft (1.52 m) in places.
A Pongaroa resident described it as the worst flood in nearly 50 years.
The telephone cable over the Pongaroa bridge was carried away .
Flooding
at
Pongaroa River
Pongaroa River had a discharge of 20,200 cusecs (572 cumecs) with a catchment area of 20 sq miles (52 km^2).
Heavy Rain
at
Shannon
Torrential rain hit Shannon on the 27th.
Tokomaru River rose rapidly.
Flooding
at
Taonui
Water overflowed into the Taonui basin near the Rangitane Toll bridge when the banks of the river breached.
The water level in the Taonui basin was 42.2 ft (12.9 m) and was 18 in (0.46 m) higher than the 1902 flood level. The stopbanks were also breached in other areas.
Heavy Rain
at
Waiwhero homestead
Waiwhero Station recorded 352 mm (35.2 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Wanganui
Wanganui recorded 1.96 in (4.97 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Landslide
at
Weber
Weber County suffered severe damage. There were 35 slips on the road from Dannevirke to Weber County.
Flooding
Weber Road and the East Coast were covered by floodwaters.
The telephone line from Dannevirke to Weber was down.
Flooding
at
Woodville
There were large areas of surface flooding.
Wellington
Multi Hazard
at
Wellington
There was torrential rain and flooding in the Wellington region on the 28th.
Flooding
In South Wairarapa 10,000 acres (4047 ha) of low-lying farmland was inundated.
Damage to county roads cost £19,400 ($967,000 2009 dollars).
Stock losses were expected to be heavy in the Haungarua and Mangarama areas.
Flooding
at
Hutt River
Hutt River had a discharge of approximately 19,500 cusecs (552 cumecs).
The Taita railway bridge was seriously damaged due to heavy flooding of the river.
Flooding
at
Masterton
Passengers in a Woodville-Masterton railcar spent the night in the car when they became isolated by slips.
Flooding
at
Ruamahanga River
Ruamahanga River was at its highest level since 1949.
Marlborough
Flooding
at
Flags Creek
Flags Creek at Wharanui had a peak discharge of 700 cusecs (20 cumecs).
Flooding
at
Flaxbourne River
Flaxbourne River had a peak discharge of 4500 cusecs (127 cumecs) at the lime works.
Canterbury
Heavy Rain
at
Canterbury
There was heavy rain thoughout province causing flooding from the 24th to the 27th. There was exceptional amounts of rain in the foothills.
Flooding
There was major flooding in the Ashley, Clarence, Porangahau and Manawatu rivers.
There was widespread damage to farmland.
Road and rail communication to the north and west of Christchurch was severed.
Main highways in mid-Canterbury had damage totalling £5850 ($292,000 2009 dollars).
The damage to State Highways 51 and 72 in North Canterbury cost £38,700 ($1,930,000 2009 dollars).
Rail and road communications to the south were cut.
Canterbury rivers and creeks were in high flood.
The railway line to the West Coast was washed out between Springfield and Arthurs Pass.
The main railway line north was impassable due to damage to a bridge over the Ashley River.
Thousands of acres of farmland was inundated.
Landslide
Roads to the West Coast over both the Lewis and Arthur Pass were blocked due to slips.
Flooding
at
Acheron River
Acheron River, a tributary of the Clarence, peaked at 10,284 cusecs (291 cumecs) at Pudding Hill.
Heavy Rain
at
Ashley Gorge
Ashley Gorge recorded 4.50 in (11.43 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 24th to the 25th.
Flooding
at
Ashley River
The river caused widespread damage to farmlands.
Ashley River broke through the emergency stopbanks above the Rangiora traffic bridge and flowed towards Rangiora, Coldstream, Kaiapoi, Woodend and Waikuku.
There was serious disruption of road and rail communications over the Ashley River.
There were telephone outages.
Ashely River had a peak discharge of 33,000 cusecs (934 cumecs) at the Gorge.
The worst flooding was in the Ashley River which broke its banks near Rangiora.
Flooding
at
Christchurch
Christchurch was virtually isolated from the north and west.
Heavy Rain
at
Clarence River
Clarence Valley recorded 5.0 in (12.7 cm) of rain in eight hours on the 25th.
Clarence Valley recorded 10.0 in (25.4 cm) of rain in three days.
Flooding
Clarence River caused widespread damage to farmlands.
The river caused serious disruption of road and rail communications. 110 yards (101 m) of the northern approach to the Clarence traffic bridge was washed away.
Clarence River had a peak discharge of 81,576 cusecs (2310 cumecs) at Waiauroa Bridge. It was at a level 5 inches (0.13 m) lower than the flood of the previous November.
Heavy Rain
at
Darfield
Darfield recorded 3.3 in (8.38 cm) of rain from the 23rd to the 25th.
Heavy Rain
at
Glenburn
Glenburn recorded 9.67 in (24.56 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 24th to the 25th.
Flooding
at
Hapuku River
Hapuku River rose 6.5 ft (1.98 m) at railway bridge
Heavy Rain
at
Hororata
Hororata recorded 4.76 in (12.09 cm) of rain from the 23rd to the 25th.
Flooding
at
Kahutara River
Kahutara River rose 9 ft (2.74 m) at the railway bridge.
Flooding
at
Kowhai River
Kowhai River rose 6 ft (1.83 m) at the railway bridge.
Heavy Rain
at
Lees Valley
Lee's Valley recorded 10.67 in (27.10 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 24th to the 25th.
Heavy Rain
at
Mount Torlesse
Mt Torlesse recorded 5.14 in (13.06 cm) of rain from the 23rd to the 25th.
Heavy Rain
at
Orari
Orari recorded 2.86 in (7.26 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
at
Orari River
The Orari River catchment was affected by the flooding and there was damage to protective works and overtopping.
Flooding
at
Rangiora
Many bridges in Rangiora county were damaged.
Flooding
at
Selwyn River
Selwyn River had a discharge pf 18,600 cusecs (527 cumecs) at the Ellesmere Bridge with a catchment area of 252 sq miles (653 km^2).
Flooding
at
Waimakariri River
Waimakariri River had a peak discharge of 59,200 cusecs (1676 cumecs) at the traffic bridge.
Heavy Rain
at
Wharfedale
Wharfdale recorded 10.87 in (27.61 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 24th to the 25th.
Flooding
at
Woodend
The main road north near Woodend was closed.
Several farms in the Woodend-Waikuku district were isolated.
References
- Catalogue of Severe Hail Storms, 1924 - 1986 and 1991 - 2006: Source: Neale.
- Cowie, C.A., Attwood, A.K. (1957) Floods in New Zealand 1920-1953, The Soil Conservation Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand
- Hydrology Annual No.3 1955, Soil Conservation and River Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand
- Johnston, D.D., and Pearse, L.J. 2007. Hazards in Hawke's Bay. Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Napier, New Zealand.
- Major weather events in New Zealand, FLOODS and HIGH RAINFALL to 31st May 2006.
- NZ Met Service. (2008). Meteorology of Extreme Rainfalls in New Zealand (Mark Pascoe, Ed.).
- Owen, R.E., 1957. Rainfall Observations for 1953, New Zealand Meteorological Service.
- Saunders, W.(2000) Planning and Resources, Hazard and Emergency Management Section, WAIRARAPA DIVISION, Wairarapa Storm Events 1880 - 1998, Technical Report No. 00/17
- Headline: Major floods in southern zone of North Island.
- The Evening Post, January 28 1953.
- Headline: Pongaroa out of Isolation.
- The Evening Post, January 29 1953.
- Headline: Deluge At Glencoe Breaks Up Girl Guides Camp.
- The Hawkes Bay Herald-Tribune, 27 January 1953.
- Headline: Violent Electrical Storms Over many Areas.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 27 January 1953.
- Headline: Devastation and Big Seep Losses In Central H.B.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 28 January 1953.
- Headline: Heaviest Rainfall East Of Tukituki Some Stock Losses.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 28 January 1953.
- Headline: Manawatu Rises To Record Levels Flooding Roads.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 28 January 1953.
- Headline: Torrential Rain Inundates Wide Areas
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 28 January 1953.
- Headline: Waipawa Houses Threatened by Flood.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 28 January 1953.
- Headline: Planes Drop Bread to Marooned Porangahau.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 29 January 1953.
- Headline: Floods block Canterbury Rail and Roadways.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 26 January 1953.
- Headline: Heavy rain in Tararua Ranges causes floods.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 28 January 1953.
January 1953 Eastern New Zealand Flooding
(
1953-01-24
)
There was heavy rain and flooding from the 24th to the 28th of January from southern Hawke's Bay to North Canterbury. There was serious damage to roads, railway lines and telephone lines.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 5 days - There was heavy rain and flooding from the 24th to the 28th of January from southern Hawke's Bay to North Canterbury.
Stock losses were substantial, and included 6500 sheep.
A very active depression developed east of Banks Peninsula and took an unusual northward track, producing flooding from North Canterbury to southern Hawke's Bay. There was exceptionally heavy rain along an axis through Wanstead, Elsthorpe and Maraetotora during night of the 27th, when the low was centred over Northland.
Bay of Plenty
Hail
at
Ngongotaha
On the 26th a hail storm hit Ngongotaha resulting in damage to crops.
Hawke's Bay
Heavy Rain
at
Hawke's Bay
Heavy rain hit the Hawke's Bay on the 27th to the 28th.
Central Hawke's Bay received 4.58 in (11.63 cm) of rain up to 9:00am on the 28th.
There was exceptionally heavy rain over Wanstead, Elsthorpe and Maraetotara.
The bulk of the rain fell in six hours.
The storm came from the south and travelled in a north-easterly direction. The axis of the storm was along a line running through Wanstead, Elsthorpe and Maraetotara.
Flooding
Flooding occurred in Tukituki, Porangahau and Maraetotara River.
There were heavy stock losses. 6500 sheep drowned, mostly in the Porangahau catchment. One farmer lost 500 ewes and acres of grass feed and another farmer lost 80 sheep.
Much fencing was destroyed.
Houses in many districts were flooded and many homes were isolated.
Damage to county roads in the province cost £31,373 ($1,564,000 2009 dollars).
Approaches to bridges were washed away.
Landslide
There was a large amount of surface slipping along the track of the storm. It was estimated that 1000 acres (405 ha) of pasture was covered by slip debris in Hawke's Bay and Manawatu-Wanganui.
Many roads were blocked by slips.
Heavy Rain
at
Crownthorpe homestead
Crownthorpe recorded 1.12 in (2.84 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Fernhill
Fernhill recorded 0.90 in (2.29 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Glencoe homestead
One of the heaviest deluges this district has ever experienced occurred on the 27th.
Glencoe recorded 3.15 in (8.0 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Flooding
Girl guides holding a camp were forced to abandon camp after rain swept through the camping area and quickly flooded the grounds.
Lightning
There was vivid lightning and thunderclaps.
Heavy Rain
at
Hastings
Hastings recorded 1.45 in (3.68 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Lightning
On the 27th there were two electrical storms moving across the Heretaunga Plains.
Flooding
Torrential rain caused some flooding in Hastings.
16 wagons of a ballast train were derailed near the Kennels due to the undermined railway embankment.
Poukawa swamp was in flood following heavy rain.
Power was cut off over the whole district for about three minutes.
Water was overflowing culverts and forcing its way into shop premises. Several shops were flooded.
Heavy Rain
at
Havelock North
Havelock North recorded 2.35 in (5.97 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Hawea homestead
Hawea Road recorded 7.84 in (19.11 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Kahuranaki homestead
Kahuranaki recorded 224 mm (22.4 cm) of rain in nine hours (which has a return periodof well over 150 years).
Heavy Rain
at
Kohatunui
Kohatunui recorded 1.43 in (3.63 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Mangamahaki
Mangamahaki tributary at Tamumu had a discharge of approximately 65,000 cusecs (1841 cumecs) into the Tukituki River with a catchment area of 102.5 sq miles (265 km^2).
Heavy Rain
at
Mangarouhi homestead
Mangarouhi Valley recorded 349 mm (34.9 cm) of rain in 12 hours (mostly in six hours). This rainfall has a return period of well over 150 years.
Heavy Rain
at
Maraekakaho
Maraekakaho recorded 2.28 in (5.79 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Maraetotara Reserve
Maraetotara recorded 1.85 in (4.70 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Maraetotara River
Maraetotara River rose 10 ft (3.05 m), which was 2.4 ft (0.73 m) higher than the July 1951 flood level.
Heavy Rain
at
Matapiro
Matapiro recorded 1.36 in (3.45 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Napier
Napier recorded 0.71 in (1.80 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Otamauri
Otamauri recorded 0.96 in (2.44 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Porangahau
Porangahau was inundated.
The main road area was the worst affected. Torrents of water were pouring across the road.
Telephone communication from Wanstead to Porangahau was impossible due to slips bringing down the poles.
In this area approximately 140 ewes were counted lying around fences.
Flooding
at
Porangahau River
Porangahau River had a peak discharge of 81,000 cusecs (2294 cumecs) with a catchment area of 300 sq miles (777 km^2).
At the Saleyards Bridge the river rose 43 ft (13.1 m).
Porangahau River was in major flood and inundated adjacent land. Many homes were isolated.
Heavy Rain
at
Pukehou
Pukehou recorded 3.5 in (8.89 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Puketapu
Puketapu recorded 0.89 in (2.26 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Sherenden
Sherenden recorded 1.11 in (2.82 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Taurapa
Taurapa recorded 1.06 in (2.69 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Tauroa homestead
Tauroa recorded 3.0 in (7.62 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Apiti homestead
Te Apiti recorded 0.55 in (1.40 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Te Awanga
Te Awanga camping ground was flooded to a depth of 2 ft (0.61 m).
Heavy Rain
at
Te Mata Park
Te Mata recorded 2.0 in (5.08 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
at
Tukituki River
Tukituki River reached its greatest height at Black Bridge with a peak discharge of 83,300 cusecs (2359 cumecs) (during the flood of August 1949 the discharge was only 76,800 cusecs (2175 cumecs)).
Lightning
at
Waikaremoana
There was a widespread power failure on the 27th due to a violent thunder storm.
Heavy Rain
at
Waimarama
Waimarama recorded 1.76 in (4.47 cm) of rain in 24 hours up to 9:00am on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Waipawa
Torrential rain caused heavy flooding at 'The Bush'.
Flooding
Several houses had water up to their doorsteps.
Approximately 20 sheep drowned.
Landslide
at
Waipukurau
There were serious slips in Tourere and Ngahape road area.
Heavy Rain
at
Wallingford
Bush Road recorded 6.15 in (15.62 cm) of rain in 12 hours.
Flooding
50 people were marooned.
Heavy Rain
at
Wanstead
Wanstead recorded 233 mm (23.3 cm) of rain in 14.5 hours (which had a return period of over 150 years).
Flooding
There were hundreds of dead sheep seen on the fences in the Wanstead area.
A pilot made several trips over the area with bread for marooned people.
Landslide
There were thousands of slips seen in the country.
Heavy Rain
at
Wilder Settlement
Wilder Settlement recorded 208 mm (20.8 cm) of rain in nine hours (which has a return period of well over 150 years).
Manawatu-Wanganui
Heavy Rain
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
There was heavy rain from the south on the 26th which fell continuously on the 27th and eased on the 28th.
There was rainfall in general in the Manawatu, southern Hawkes Bay and northern Wairarapa districts. Very intense rainfall appeared in a triangle between Palmerston North, Dannevirke and Pahiatua and the east coast.
Flooding
Mangatainoka, Mangahao, Pohangina and Oroua rivers were in moderate flood.
There was severe flooding throughout the Manawatu.
There were very heavy stock losses.
Houses in many districts were flooded.
There was widespread damage to farmland, road and rail networks.
Farm damage in the area was severe and many fences were destroyed.
Damage to Manawatu Catchment Board works cost £40,000 ($1,995,000 2009 dollars).
Damage to state highways in the area cost £2500 ($124,700 2009 dollars).
Tematai Road on the main Napier highway was under 4 ft (1.22 m) of water.
A horse and rider was swept away by a torrent on the main road but they were both saved.
Mangapuaka Bridge on the Norsewood-Te Uri road was washed away.
Landslide
Many roads were blocked by slips.
Flooding
at
Akitio River
Akitio River had an estimated discharge of 60,000 cusecs (1699 cumecs) with a catchment area of 200 sq miles (518 km^2).
Flooding
at
Aohanga River
Aohanga River had a discharge of 43,000 cusecs (1218 cumecs) with a catchment area of 160 sq miles (414 km^2).
Aohanga River had a discharge of 32,400 cusecs (917 cumecs) with a catchment area of 95 sq miles (246 km^2).
Flooding
at
Dannevirke
Bridges in the Dannevirke area were under water and many were damaged.
Landslide
at
Hamua
There were extensive slips blocking the highway.
Flooding
at
Hokowhitu River
Lower Hokowhitu River broke through leading to an urgent order to residents to evacuate homes.
Flooding
at
Konini
The river at Konini burst its banks.
Most of the streets in town flooded and dirty creek water flowed into some shops.
Flooding
at
Levin
There was surface flooding in low-lying areas.
Flooding
at
Longburn
At the peak of the flood water came in near Longburn and the flood level reached 18 in (0.46 m) higher than the flood in 1902.
Flooding
at
Manawatu Gorge
Manawatu Gorge was choked by the flood at its peak. There was a 42 ft (12.8 m) rise in the river.
There was widespread flooding to a considerable depth between the Manawatu Gorge and Palmerston North. A large volume of water escaped along the right bank.
Landslide
All traffic through the gorge was blocked by an extensive slip. There were at least six big slips that occurred in the gorge. 40 cars were trapped.
Two families (approximately eight people) were evacuated.
Flooding
at
Manawatu River
The peak level of the Manawatu River was 21 ft 5 in (6.6 m) at Fitzherbert gauge with a peak discharge of 159,611 cusecs (4520 cumecs).The river held its peak for five hours and remained over 20 ft (6.1 m) for 15.5 hours.
Manawatu River had a discharge of 93,988 cusecs (2661 cumecs) at Hopelands.
Manawatu River had a discharge of 145,611 cusecs (4123 cumecs) at Ashhurst.
Manawatu River was in its sixth biggest flood on record.
Flooding
at
Mangahao River
Mangahao River had a discharge of 22,167 cumecs (628 cumecs) at the Highway Bridge.
Flooding
at
Mangatainoka River
Mangatainoka River had a discharge of 19,538 cumecs (553 cumecs) at the Highway Bridge.
Heavy Rain
at
Motuotaria
Motuotaria recorded 9.19 in (23.34 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Nikau Hill
Nikau Hill recorded 10.31 in (26.19 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 27th.
Heavy Rain
at
Ohakea
Ohakea recorded 5.0 in (12.7 cm) of rain in three days.
Flooding
at
Opiki
The main drainage system at Opiki overlapped its banks and flooded crop land.
Flooding
at
Oroua River
Oroua River had a disharge of 5656 cusecs (160 cumecs) at Kopane Bridge.
Heavy Rain
at
Pahiatua
Pahitua recorded 6.96 in (17.6 cm) of rain in 48 hours.
It was the heaviest rainfall for 30 years.
Flooding
The main street resembled a miniature lake.
The town was isolated by floodwaters.
The creek south of Pahiatua became a raging torrent. It cut into the highway and caused a number of families to evacuate their homes.
This flood was worse than the flood of 1941.
Stock losses occurred in low-lying country with ewes and lambs being swept away.
Heavy Rain
at
Palmerston North
Palmerston North recorded 5 in (12.7 cm) of rain in 48 hours.
Flooding
Exits from Palmerston North with the exception of the main road north to Wanganui were closed.
The highway from Palmerston North to Levin was blocked.
Landslide
Palmerston North was cut off from the East Coast by road and rail due to slips in the Manawatu Gorge.
Flooding
at
Pongaroa
The town was isolated by floodwaters for two days. There was no road or rail into the town.
The roads were covered to a depth of 5 ft (1.52 m) in places.
A Pongaroa resident described it as the worst flood in nearly 50 years.
The telephone cable over the Pongaroa bridge was carried away .
Flooding
at
Pongaroa River
Pongaroa River had a discharge of 20,200 cusecs (572 cumecs) with a catchment area of 20 sq miles (52 km^2).
Heavy Rain
at
Shannon
Torrential rain hit Shannon on the 27th.
Tokomaru River rose rapidly.
Flooding
at
Taonui
Water overflowed into the Taonui basin near the Rangitane Toll bridge when the banks of the river breached.
The water level in the Taonui basin was 42.2 ft (12.9 m) and was 18 in (0.46 m) higher than the 1902 flood level. The stopbanks were also breached in other areas.
Heavy Rain
at
Waiwhero homestead
Waiwhero Station recorded 352 mm (35.2 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Wanganui
Wanganui recorded 1.96 in (4.97 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Landslide
at
Weber
Weber County suffered severe damage. There were 35 slips on the road from Dannevirke to Weber County.
Flooding
Weber Road and the East Coast were covered by floodwaters.
The telephone line from Dannevirke to Weber was down.
Flooding
at
Woodville
There were large areas of surface flooding.
Wellington
Multi Hazard
at
Wellington
There was torrential rain and flooding in the Wellington region on the 28th.
Flooding
In South Wairarapa 10,000 acres (4047 ha) of low-lying farmland was inundated.
Damage to county roads cost £19,400 ($967,000 2009 dollars).
Stock losses were expected to be heavy in the Haungarua and Mangarama areas.
Flooding
at
Hutt River
Hutt River had a discharge of approximately 19,500 cusecs (552 cumecs).
The Taita railway bridge was seriously damaged due to heavy flooding of the river.
Flooding
at
Masterton
Passengers in a Woodville-Masterton railcar spent the night in the car when they became isolated by slips.
Flooding
at
Ruamahanga River
Ruamahanga River was at its highest level since 1949.
Marlborough
Flooding
at
Flags Creek
Flags Creek at Wharanui had a peak discharge of 700 cusecs (20 cumecs).
Flooding
at
Flaxbourne River
Flaxbourne River had a peak discharge of 4500 cusecs (127 cumecs) at the lime works.
Canterbury
Heavy Rain
at
Canterbury
There was heavy rain thoughout province causing flooding from the 24th to the 27th. There was exceptional amounts of rain in the foothills.
Flooding
There was major flooding in the Ashley, Clarence, Porangahau and Manawatu rivers.
There was widespread damage to farmland.
Road and rail communication to the north and west of Christchurch was severed.
Main highways in mid-Canterbury had damage totalling £5850 ($292,000 2009 dollars).
The damage to State Highways 51 and 72 in North Canterbury cost £38,700 ($1,930,000 2009 dollars).
Rail and road communications to the south were cut.
Canterbury rivers and creeks were in high flood.
The railway line to the West Coast was washed out between Springfield and Arthurs Pass.
The main railway line north was impassable due to damage to a bridge over the Ashley River.
Thousands of acres of farmland was inundated.
Landslide
Roads to the West Coast over both the Lewis and Arthur Pass were blocked due to slips.
Flooding
at
Acheron River
Acheron River, a tributary of the Clarence, peaked at 10,284 cusecs (291 cumecs) at Pudding Hill.
Heavy Rain
at
Ashley Gorge
Ashley Gorge recorded 4.50 in (11.43 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 24th to the 25th.
Flooding
at
Ashley River
The river caused widespread damage to farmlands.
Ashley River broke through the emergency stopbanks above the Rangiora traffic bridge and flowed towards Rangiora, Coldstream, Kaiapoi, Woodend and Waikuku.
There was serious disruption of road and rail communications over the Ashley River.
There were telephone outages.
Ashely River had a peak discharge of 33,000 cusecs (934 cumecs) at the Gorge.
The worst flooding was in the Ashley River which broke its banks near Rangiora.
Flooding
at
Christchurch
Christchurch was virtually isolated from the north and west.
Heavy Rain
at
Clarence River
Clarence Valley recorded 5.0 in (12.7 cm) of rain in eight hours on the 25th.
Clarence Valley recorded 10.0 in (25.4 cm) of rain in three days.
Flooding
Clarence River caused widespread damage to farmlands.
The river caused serious disruption of road and rail communications. 110 yards (101 m) of the northern approach to the Clarence traffic bridge was washed away.
Clarence River had a peak discharge of 81,576 cusecs (2310 cumecs) at Waiauroa Bridge. It was at a level 5 inches (0.13 m) lower than the flood of the previous November.
Heavy Rain
at
Darfield
Darfield recorded 3.3 in (8.38 cm) of rain from the 23rd to the 25th.
Heavy Rain
at
Glenburn
Glenburn recorded 9.67 in (24.56 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 24th to the 25th.
Flooding
at
Hapuku River
Hapuku River rose 6.5 ft (1.98 m) at railway bridge
Heavy Rain
at
Hororata
Hororata recorded 4.76 in (12.09 cm) of rain from the 23rd to the 25th.
Flooding
at
Kahutara River
Kahutara River rose 9 ft (2.74 m) at the railway bridge.
Flooding
at
Kowhai River
Kowhai River rose 6 ft (1.83 m) at the railway bridge.
Heavy Rain
at
Lees Valley
Lee's Valley recorded 10.67 in (27.10 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 24th to the 25th.
Heavy Rain
at
Mount Torlesse
Mt Torlesse recorded 5.14 in (13.06 cm) of rain from the 23rd to the 25th.
Heavy Rain
at
Orari
Orari recorded 2.86 in (7.26 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
at
Orari River
The Orari River catchment was affected by the flooding and there was damage to protective works and overtopping.
Flooding
at
Rangiora
Many bridges in Rangiora county were damaged.
Flooding
at
Selwyn River
Selwyn River had a discharge pf 18,600 cusecs (527 cumecs) at the Ellesmere Bridge with a catchment area of 252 sq miles (653 km^2).
Flooding
at
Waimakariri River
Waimakariri River had a peak discharge of 59,200 cusecs (1676 cumecs) at the traffic bridge.
Heavy Rain
at
Wharfedale
Wharfdale recorded 10.87 in (27.61 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 24th to the 25th.
Flooding
at
Woodend
The main road north near Woodend was closed.
Several farms in the Woodend-Waikuku district were isolated.
References
- Catalogue of Severe Hail Storms, 1924 - 1986 and 1991 - 2006: Source: Neale.
- Cowie, C.A., Attwood, A.K. (1957) Floods in New Zealand 1920-1953, The Soil Conservation Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand
- Hydrology Annual No.3 1955, Soil Conservation and River Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand
- Johnston, D.D., and Pearse, L.J. 2007. Hazards in Hawke's Bay. Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Napier, New Zealand.
- Major weather events in New Zealand, FLOODS and HIGH RAINFALL to 31st May 2006.
- NZ Met Service. (2008). Meteorology of Extreme Rainfalls in New Zealand (Mark Pascoe, Ed.).
- Owen, R.E., 1957. Rainfall Observations for 1953, New Zealand Meteorological Service.
- Saunders, W.(2000) Planning and Resources, Hazard and Emergency Management Section, WAIRARAPA DIVISION, Wairarapa Storm Events 1880 - 1998, Technical Report No. 00/17
- Headline: Major floods in southern zone of North Island.
- The Evening Post, January 28 1953.
- Headline: Pongaroa out of Isolation.
- The Evening Post, January 29 1953.
- Headline: Deluge At Glencoe Breaks Up Girl Guides Camp.
- The Hawkes Bay Herald-Tribune, 27 January 1953.
- Headline: Violent Electrical Storms Over many Areas.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 27 January 1953.
- Headline: Devastation and Big Seep Losses In Central H.B.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 28 January 1953.
- Headline: Heaviest Rainfall East Of Tukituki Some Stock Losses.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 28 January 1953.
- Headline: Manawatu Rises To Record Levels Flooding Roads.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 28 January 1953.
- Headline: Torrential Rain Inundates Wide Areas
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 28 January 1953.
- Headline: Waipawa Houses Threatened by Flood.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 28 January 1953.
- Headline: Planes Drop Bread to Marooned Porangahau.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 29 January 1953.
- Headline: Floods block Canterbury Rail and Roadways.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 26 January 1953.
- Headline: Heavy rain in Tararua Ranges causes floods.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 28 January 1953.